Our future's (not) bright

Since the Suzuki Cup group stage exit, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has gone on a charm offensive with our local media giant Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) as articles appearing in their papers are telling us of a 'bright future' ahead.

First on the Monday, after Singapore exit, the worthless one, Zainduin Nordin defended the LionsXII claiming it is on the verge of 'producing players' ready to conquer.

Then FAS general manager of Youth Development (JCOE) S. Varapha Rajan tell us the National Football Academy (NFA) is as 'good as any in the world' and the problem is just the outflow is worse than elsewhere so not totally their fault.

After that, former national coach P.N.Sivaji step in telling us of 'the talents Singapore has at hand' thus the future is positive, not negative.

Yet is it so as events does not showcased FAS 'Confidence'.

First on point one with FAS releasing their players list for their LionsXII, which showcased as many as 10 players who are not Under-23 next year, so how is that emerging talents as the likes of Firdaus Kasman and Shahdan Sulaiman, signed from Tampines, are internationals, not rookies.

Here's the real reason why youngsters are not emerging; players who are 24-29 and are internationals are playing in an Under-23 team.

So national coach Bernard Stange should not be 'shocked' with his players lacked of steel in the Suzuki Cup games for nowhere in the world do one see internationals, who are way overage, still fighting for spots with youngsters in so called 'youth development team'.

If the worthless one has 'confidence' in LionsXII abilities to produce players', why sign established internationals.

Then down to the next point and Mr S Varapha Rajan, I can accept your point on the outflow of youngsters but not about not needing more clubs to have Centre of Excellence (COEs).

For those who do not know, the article in SPH Straits Times, unlike Yahoo, mentioned foreign experts telling FAS they need to work harder to encourage clubs to have COEs for Singapore football sake but our FAS man rebut that.

And that's where the problem lie!

FAS clearly believed they do not need others involved.

Before going on, let talked about FAS boast that their NFA is a matched for anyone youth development in the world earlier in the article.

If FAS truly believed so, why is Adam Swandi in France as we can save the $200k but of course, we know the answer is if he is in Singapore, he will never realized his potential.

So stop telling us how good NFA is when the only persons who believed are associated with FAS.

Therefore, without a capable youth development, we must catch every youngsters available.

Especially as even world-class youth development are unable to produce everybody they need.

Looked at Barcelona, considered to have best development for a club side, they still lacked players in several areas and have gone into the transfer market to buy players.

So stop dreaming it must be all your credits as nobody in the world have only one youth development to produce all the players their nation need.

Or maybe FAS is hoping the 3 remaining COEs (Balestier, Home and Warriors) can plug any shortfall.

It's unlikely as I mentioned before, there's no motivation as everything good is FAS credits while everything bad is clubs' faults.

Who want to work under such circumstances.

People need to be motivated and in this era and time, it is money which work the best as asked Prime Minister Lee for he noted in an interview with China media that in the current peaceful time, people need to be paid well or else nobody will come forward.

Clubs are only involved if the rewards are there, not punishment (Like 2004 Geylang experience and for those who do not know, Geylang went from runner-up to become bottom 3 material after FAS took 7 of their players in the name of national interest for the Courts Young Lions)

So Mr S Varapha Rajan, you have much to do especially as your boss, the worthless one, can justified spending $180k on a 30-year-old player for the Lions XII while closing down youth development all over the place at the same time. (This year, not only COEs were closed but also the Lions City Cup due to funding reason and it may be gone for good as FAS need cash for LionsXII)

Thus Mr P N Sivaji, how can one see a 'bright future'!

For people may be even more put off by a football career, not just with FAS closing down clubs as they liked, but also the fact the salary cap can stay stagnant for 7 years. (FAS tell us there's no extra money but when LionsXII need it, they can find it)

Inflation is wiping out all increases in the salary cap in Ho's era but FAS will only repeat the same story of how 'poor' they are.

As for the emerging players, they're going to the graveyard know as LionsXII; many youngsters have gone there only to sit on the bench with the team overstuffed with seniors.

Danny Wellbeck had left Manchester United as he needed games to improve himself and if a club like United cannot offered him that; when most seasons they played 50-60 games, what more LionsXII who play at most 30 plus games.

Is it any surprise a number of emerging players go there only to come out worse as they need the full games, and not the mere minutes, at their age but they will never get it.

So do not be surprised, Mr Sivaji for we are setting ourselves up to fail our next generation.

Especially as FAS men keep coming out to tell they're on the right path but we can't see it yet and only 'more time is needed'. (Like real as our worthless one can walk away in September so how much more time as he has had 7 years already)

Our future's not bright no matter how many positive stories FAS come out with SPH help.